Become a Better Leader: 11 of the Best Leadership Blogs

July 7, 2016

If you’re a business consultant, it’s a smart move to occasionally take a knee and hear what thought leaders have to say about trends, communication, leadership, management and other hot button issues.

Even titans of commerce regularly review the musings of other leaders to help clarify their own thinking, spark original thoughts and rethink tried and true best practices. We’ve taken the liberty of combing the Internet and presenting 11 must-follow blogs by some of the most prolific and important leaders of today.

1. Michael Hyatt

Consistently ranked one of the most influential leadership authors around, Michael Hyatt has been featured in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and The New York Times. His blog is updated three or four times a week and features brief but insightful posts on productivity, leadership, influence and personal development. It’s worth your while to tune into his This is Your Life podcast on your commute.

2. John Maxwell

The John Maxwell Co. is a well-oiled machine with weekly posts that cut to the chase, including “5 lessons I learned when just starting out,” “The limits of a one-man show” and “The three types of mentors every person needs to help them grow.” John’s voice and point of view comes through loud and clear and offers a great combination of avuncular advice and corporate cheerleader encouragement.

3. Suzi McAlpine @

If you’re looking for a shot of out-of-the-box thinking, Suzi McAlpine’s The Leader’s Digest blog is a perfect addition to your reading roster. An award-winning blogger and keynote speaker and executive leadership coach, Suzi brings warmth and good humor to her posts. But don’t let their quirky nature fool you into thinking she brings only fluff to the table. You’ll be surprised at the long-lasting impact her insights offer—and how practical her advice really is.

4. Dan Rockwell

We get it. You don’t have time to scroll through a treatise to get your hit of leadership wisdom. You’ll love this self-proclaimed “leadership freak” who aims to empower leaders 300 words at a time. Dan Rockwell posts obsessively often, but never misses the mark when it comes to zeroing in on important topics in accessible, often fun, ways. With no frills and tons of numbered lists for easily digestible information, this is one read you can zip through but get a lot from.

5. Lolly Daskal

Dig deep into the psychological and behavioral principles behind management and leadership with Lolly Daskal. She’s been featured in Inc., Fast Company and Psychology Today. With a laser-sharp focus on leadership, Lolly posts prolifically and offers wisdom with a human touch that’ll help you be a better leader—and quite possibly a more compassionate person.

6. Wayne Dyer

The self-help guru who’s published dozens of books for everyone from children to seniors? Yes, that Wayne Dyer. While Wayne’s blog doesn’t typically focus on corporate leadership per se, his inspirational insights ring true in the boardroom. His posts are often personal and relatable and are infused with the wisdom of a writer with a long career of creating habits that stick. His site has a number of complementary goodies like a free audiobook and info about his books and podcast.

7. Jeffery Tobias Halter

As America’s leading male expert on advancing women and engaging men, this gender strategist brings a fresh perspective to leadership. His blog YWomen is chock full of interesting factoids about gender parity (and disparity) in business and offers nuanced responses to issues all leaders need to consider. While you’re on his site, check out his Father of a Daughter Initiative.

8. Jon Gordon

Everyone from the NBA coaches to Fortune 500 companies to school districts and non-profits have used Jon Gordon’s leadership principles, indicating that he might have some inspiration worth hearing about. His blog is what you’d expect from a thought leader: concise, broad-thinking and practical and features audio inspirations called A Positive Moment. In fact, some of his posts are in audio format—versatile and easy to digest.

9. Mark Sanborn

A classic leadership strategic thinker, Mark Sanborn is the author of eight books on the topic, as well as a number of successful videos and audio training programs. His blog primarily focuses on leadership and personal development, superior customer service and team building. His no-nonsense approach is straight-to-the-point and includes case studies and real-world examples to demonstrate how you can be a better leader.

10. Kevin Eikenberry

Leadership & Learning with Kevin Eikenberry is a thought-provoking blog from a world-renowned leadership expert and two-time best-selling author. Recognized by Inc.com as one of the top 100 leadership and management thinkers in the world, you can’t really afford not to check out what Kevin has to say. With a great mix of practical advice and fresh takes on basic business principles, this blog should be a staple.

11. Karin Hurt

On her award-winning Let’s Grow Leaders blog, Karin writes candidly about leadership growth development and skill building—for both leaders and those aspiring to be leaders. A testament to the profound truths she reveals on her blog is the fact that it’s grown into a highly-interactive, international community. You’ll want to get a regular dose of what one of the American Management Association’s 2015 Leaders to Watch has to say.

about the author

Freelance Contributor
Heather Hudson is an accomplished freelance writer and journalist based in Toronto. She writes for a number of publishing, corporate and agency clients who depend on her to deliver high-quality, on-brand content and journalism with a fresh perspective. Learn more about her work at heatherhudson.ca.